Question
by MeeLee
Summary: When Kakashi is sent on a suicide mission, Iruka gives him a reason to come home safe. KakaIru, oneshot.


**A/N: **Yet another KakaIru one-shot. Nothing else to say on the subject. Enjoy the yummy yaoi-ness.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. _-MeeLee_

**Question**

The door to the apartment opened slowly, quietly. Iruka, seated at the low table in his study, did not look up from the papers he was marking. "Mail's on the table, Kakashi."

When there was no answer, Iruka set his pen down and looked up. "Kakashi, did you hear m—Kakashi?"

His silver-haired lover stood just inside the open doorway, body curled as if wanting to keep the rest of the world from seeping inside, single blue eye fixed on Iruka with an intensity that instantly told Iruka that something wasn't right.

"Kakashi," the chuunin said, rising quickly to his feet. "What's wrong?"

Kakashi still refused to reply. Frowning, Iruka took one step forward and suddenly found himself wrapped in an embrace so tight it was nearly painful. Instantly he froze, unsure of what to do as Kakashi buried his nose in the corner of his neck.

"Kakashi—"

"You love me, right?"

Iruka blinked. The jounin's voice trembled as he repeated the question. "No matter what, you'll always love me, right?"

"Yes," Iruka answered, gently disengaging his lover and touching a hand to the jounin's cheek. "You know I will. Kakashi, what's going on? Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?"

Kakashi dropped his gaze to the floor, one gloved hand coming up to grasp Iruka's own. "I have a mission," he whispered, as if it were a big secret.

Iruka blinked, whispering in turn. "Where?"

"Near Konoha's borders. In the direction of Sound."

"A scroll retrieval?" Iruka pressed. "Or an assassination?" He was worried. Kakashi had never been so riled up about a mission before.

The jounin shook his head. "Several squads of Sound nin," he said. "They crossed the border half an hour ago."

Iruka frowned. "Are there other jounin on your team?"

Kakashi kept speaking as if he hadn't heard. "I'll have to hold them off until Tsunade-sama can get proper squads organized for the counterattack."

"You?" Iruka couldn't have heard right. "Just you?" When his lover nodded slowly, Iruka felt his blood run cold. "Tsunade-sama's _insane_."

"She has no other options," Kakashi answered. "Most of the other jounin are out on missions, and we're still seriously understaffed. I'm the only one readily available for this."

"I'll come with you—"

"_No._" The harshness of Kakashi's voice startled Iruka, the jounin's grip involuntarily tightening as he continued, "It's a suicide mission, Iruka. I'm not going to let you follow me to die."

Iruka swallowed, knowing full well that Kakashi was right. If he went, Kakashi would be too busy worrying about his safety to focus on his own, and would be more unlikely to survive.

"Just…" Iruka was finding it hard to speak through the lump in his throat. "Just promise me you'll come back."

When Kakashi answered, his voice was thick. "I—I can't."

Iruka could find nothing to say.

They stood there together for an eternity, communicating volumes without words. Then Kakashi shifted, slowly taking one step back. "I have to go," he whispered. "Iruka—"

"Wait." The chuunin bit his lip, turning and rushing into his study. "Wait, Kakashi."

There came sounds of drawers being pulled open and things being shuffled around before Iruka returned, holding something in his hand. Kakashi didn't get to see what it was, though, because his lover yanked his mask down and pulled him in for a dizzying kiss that Kakashi would have easily lost himself in had he not heard a soft snap and felt something cold and hard suddenly slide onto his finger.

Breaking the kiss, he peered down in surprise at the gold ring glinting there. Suddenly he found it very difficult to breathe as he looked back up at his lover. "Iruka, this—"

"No." Iruka shook his head slowly. "We can't talk now; there's no time. Just know that I've asked, Kakashi."

The jounin swallowed. "Iruka, if I don't—"

"_When_ you come back," Iruka corrected, voice surprisingly strong, "You can give me your answer. Now go, and come back to me." And Kakashi couldn't protest because Iruka kissed him again then, all heat and slick tongue and passion and endless, endless love. And Kakashi knew even as he turned away and prepared to depart that, come hell or high water, he'd return alive or die trying.

* * *

They wouldn't let Iruka in to see him, not until they'd made sure all the broken bones had been set, none of the stitches were torn, that the Sharingan was properly bandaged, that his chakra system, severely damaged from using the Raikiri five times, had been at least somewhat replenished. Even then, Tsunade stopped him at the door.

"Please tell me he's okay," Iruka whispered, face pale.

Tsunade smiled. "It'll be a couple of months yet before we let him out, and after that he'll need some physical therapy to get himself properly moving again. But he'll pull through, Iruka. His strength is admirable."

"I'm glad," Iruka breathed. And he was.

Tsunade's smile grew warmer. "I'm really proud of him," she said. "His will to live is amazing. But then, we have you to thank for that, hm?"

Iruka had the sense to blush at that. Tsunade only laughed, moving aside to let him into the room.

The figure under the white hospital sheets was small and vulnerable, aspects of his person that Kakashi would never willingly let anyone except Iruka see. The jounin was currently lying very still, eyes closed, the soft beeping of the monitors around him and the steady rise and fall of his chest the only indications that he was even alive.

Iruka crossed the room to him, sliding into a chair and gently reaching out to touch Kakashi's pale cheek. The jounin let out a breath at that, turning slowly toward the touch, blue unbandaged eye fluttering open.

Iruka smiled, wondering idly if the sudden blurring of his vision was from tears or the fact that he hadn't slept the previous night. "Hi," he whispered.

Kakashi blinked, once, slowly. "Hi," he croaked back. There was a brief silence before he spoke again.

"Yes," he said.

Iruka frowned, confused. "Yes what?"

Kakashi smiled, though it was slightly contorted with pain. "Before I left, you asked me…for my answer. And my answer is yes."

It took Iruka a moment to process that (one can't blame him, seeing as he was running on nearly forty-eight hours of nonstop worrying), but when it did click, he smiled, squeezing Kakashi's hand and feeling the hardness of the ring underneath the layers of bandage.

"Okay," he said. "I'll start talking to people then."

"I want everyone to be there," Kakashi said, giving Iruka's hand a light squeeze. "Everyone in the village, even Tsunade-sama herself. And I want a big cake, with at least five layers, chocolate frosting and Icha Icha scenes on the sides…"

And as he listened to his lover's wedding plans, Iruka could only smile and nod and fall in love all over again.

**FINI**


End file.
